PCT Stats: Day 3

  • Daily Mileage: 12.64
  • Starting Mile Marker: 19.96
  • Ending Mile Marker: 32.60
  • Pack Weight: 28.3 lbs
  • Weather: Rainy
  • Nights in Hammock: 3
  • Nights on Ground: 0
  • Nights in Hotel: 0
  • Health: Plantar fasciitis kicked in immediately this morning. Took very frequent breaks to stretch calves, foot, massage foot, etc.

Will Plantar Fasciitis End My Thru Hike in the First Week?

After a nice a nice break at Lake Morena, I was excited to get back on the trail but very apprehensive about whether not my foot was going to be hurting me again. Sure enough, plantar fasciitis kicked in immediately. I watched my life pass before my eyes as I had to consider the very real fact that my thru hike could end its first week due to this injury.

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Managing My Foot Injury / Plantar Fasciitis

I ran into Warner Springs Monty Tam who also suffers from plantar fasciitis and he told me that he is able to manage it through massage and stretching. For the rest of the day I would stop immediately when the pain level increased and would begin stretching my achilles tendon and calf by placing my toes on a rock and then hanging my heel and back off my foot off the rock to stretch. I noticed that this did help with the pain and after a while the pain started to go away.

I slowly regained hope that I could manage this injury….. then I started to have the exact same pain in the arch of my left foot…. no!!! So I also stretched that calve as well and the stretching worked!. All and all I kept a very slow pace, stretching when necessary and it seemed to get the job done! While I was still experiencing some pain I ended the day with hope that this might be a manageable injury that I can move on from! I previously had doubts when I read some websites that advised that taking entire season or taking six months off was the only solution.

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Rain and Hammock Bliss

The weather was beautiful as it rained on off all day keeping temps very cool and manageable. I had originally planned I’m doing 70 miles to get to the next hang spot where I knew there were trees but it turned out that I found spot 12 miles then at Cibbets Flat campground that was a beautiful place to end the day with great trees to hang from.

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Wrapping Up Day 3 on the Pacific Crest Trail

I was greeted by Animal Style when I arrived at Cibbets Flats. Trail Angel Rob had just left and Animal Style had a mountain dew for me, awesome! This dude is one funny Israeli! We relaxed for the rest of the day and dried out our gear. Shortly thereafter David, Rob, Kelly and a few other folks came in and we hunkered down for the night of rain ahead. Was super comfy and dry in my hammock set up and tarp!

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